A Talk About the Past
by Void.Of.Memory
Summary: Kratos visits Yuan unexpectedly, to talk about their past, hence the name. Before the events in ToS. *Spoilers!* One shot.


Yuan sat in his office, reading over reports sent by his contact in Cruxis. Most of them were of no consequence, but the ones about the Chosen and the like, were interesting. He read through the first report, all ten pages of it, but threw the second one down. It made a satisfying noise on his desk, but papers went flying. Yuan held back a curse and went to pick them up.

'Yuan.'

Yuan slowly turned around. His hands frozen around the paper he had just picked up. He knew that voice, but had last heard him speak like that a long ago. He had never though he'd hear it again. It brought up so many recollections of the past, good and bad, and more than a few that were painful.

'Kratos. What brings you here? Why? And how?'

'Hmph. You have a hologram transmitter, don't you? I expect Botta taught you how to use it. There is no why, I just wanted to talk alone. We were friends once.' His voice was cold and steely, just like Yuan remembered it.

'You forget Kratos, that I helped make the first hologram transmitter. I taught Botta. Wait, how do you know him? And just talk? Don't be an idiot! You never 'just talk'. You always had an agenda.' He had always wanted his voice to betray no emotion like Kratos' but had never perfected it. Even _he_ hadn't.

'Botta? Your second-in command? I've known about him ever since you met him. ' He paused. 'I didn't always have an agenda. Not with her.'

Yuan chuckled. 'Ah, you do just want to talk. Talk about her. I though you had forgotten about her, like_ he_ had told you to. Aren't you his perfect lapdog?' They both knew exactly what Yuan was talking about, but almost no-one else would.

'Hmph. Don't forget Yuan, you were too, once. And aren't you still suppose to be?' His voice was even steelier. He wasn't mad, but he was right.

'That was once Kratos. And I still am. But you're right; 'once' we were friends. We've both changed. _She _changed you, but _he _just ensnared you once again. It took me longer but I got out enough.' Yuan knew exactly where to lay his blows. Kratos had a mask riding just above his layer of guilt. He was a different man under the shattered façade; if Yuan could break it, he might be able to find out the real reason Kratos had come out of nowhere just to talk.

Kratos turned around. 'I can see it's useless talking to you like this. I have things to take care of. ' His hand reached out to a button Yuan couldn't see.

'Wait, Kratos. If you're leaving, don't say a word. If _he_ finds out who's running this, I'll know who told.' Yuan insisted franticly. He hadn't thought about that when Kratos had first appeared; he'd been too surprised.

Kratos turned back to face Yuan with his arms crossed in the most Kratos like fashion. Yuan hadn't seen him do that since they had parted ways. And come back together 'Don't be a fool. I wouldn't tell him. Even if you don't, I still hold our travels together in some regard.' He looked around Yuan's office. 'So this is the Renegade's base. I suppose you have a reason for looking like the Desians.' He looked down at the report still on the floor. 'Hmm. That's your reason. I'll have to be on the look out for one of your people up here.'

Yuan scowled and picked up the report. '"Up here"?' Where are you?

'Wagalia.'

'Kratos, you idiot! What if someone walks in on this? What would an angel, even one that had no thoughts on its own saw this? Or, or _him?_'

'Hmph, don't take me for a fool, Yuan. I know what I'm doing. I am one of the four Seraphim, same as you. Our orders are law. If I tell them not to entre, they won't. But, if you're that worried about it, then-' He cut off and took a step forward. Suddenly he was in the room, standing not ten feet from Yuan. 'I expect your people can follow orders?'

'H- how did you do that?'

'Hmph' Kratos re-crossed his arms. 'You aren't the only one with people on the inside. I had my man install this transporter last week. I thought you had noticed, by the way you killed him.'

Yuan shook his head. 'It wasn't for that. I see you still don't care about people dying. How many angles, how many Desians have you killed Kratos?' He asked viciously. Krtaos closed his eyes and Yuan smiled in his mind. He was so close. 'So you do care about them. Does Anna matter? Or is she just another dead human.'

That was it. Kratos un-crossed his arms and put his hand on his sword. It meant he was feeling the pressure of he lives he'd taken, the mistakes he's made. He just wanted to fight his ghosts, defeat them. But, Yuan knew he never would. 'Too many. Humans, Elves, half-elves, so many dead, so many lives wasted. But I'd do it all over again for Anna back.'

'Isn't that rather selfish? Besides, would Anna even want to be with you if you had brought her back by killing innocents?'

Kratos' eyes flashed with anger. 'Do not mistake knowing of her with knowing her. You do not know what Anna would have wanted.' He sighed and the anger was gone. 'I never said I didn't make any mistakes. Wouldn't you do that same for Martel?'

That made Yuan gasp. 'Martel is dead. I know I cannot bring her back; therefore I do not try to. I don't chase foolish dreams.' He was almost shouting now.

'Forgive me Yuan. That was out of place. I know- we both know- how you feel about Martel. ' He looked away from him and Yuan sensed Kratos was about to say what he had come to say. 'Do you wish you could turn back time, and stop from meeting her? Go back and take out the one thing that brought you together?' His voice was quiet and hurting. Yuan knew him a lot better then Kratos though; The reason behind this question was to make sure he wasn't alone in wanting to have never loved that one person.

'Everyday. I just want to get rid of it, that useless pain that will never cease.' Kratos breathed a sigh of relief. 'But, I also think that, maybe I wouldn't be here, now if I did that. Martel showed me _he_ wasn't always right. Even when it got her killed.'

'Anna… Anna would have lived if it hadn't for me. She would have lived for-'

'No longer than a few months.' Yuan interrupted. 'The Cruxis Crystal was almost finished and she knew that. It was probably affecting her even before she lost control. She knew that, Kratos. You gave her the best last three years of her life. She taught you just as Martel taught me; _he _is not always right. She let showed you the world that you had let go of. '

'But what do you do when the teacher is no longer there to teach you? What do you do when the light of the wrong path dims the light guiding you down the right path? Do you follow blindly, hoping you're doing the right thing? Or go back to the lighted path.' The despretness in Kratos' voice, the way it crack at the end… Yuan wanted nothing more then to comfort the angel, but knew it would honestly only do more harm then good. 'What did you do Yuan?'

'I made my own path, with the light that was left for me.' Yuan told him. 'I might be following the direction of the wrong path, but I'm going the way I want in the end.'

It seemed to be too much for the auburn-haired human. He sunk to the ground, elbows on knees, and held his head in one hand. ' There was no light that was left for me, Yuan. I don't know where to go. The mistakes I've made block out any light I was ever given.'

'Kratos.' He looked up at the call of his name, and found Yuan standing over him. 'You always believed in fatalism, that no matter what happened in the beginning, the same end would come. So why now are you wanting to take it all back?'

'14 years since her death and I still haven't found peace. Is it so wrong to want this pain to go, even if it meant giving up?'

Suddenly, Kratos couldn't move. He felt a paralyzing ice in his veins that froze him in place. 'Yu-an' He struggled to talk.

Yuan had his hand out, in front of Kratos, his palm glowing with the light of the paralyzing glow, keeping Kratos in place. 'If you think that Anna would want you to give up, than you are a fool. You are no better than the man who really killed her. You have to keep going Kratos.'

'What do I have to keep going for? Anna is gone, the world is dying, my son is dead. No one will accept me and anyone I had as a friend is dead.' Kratos whispered. The last time he had cried was when he had found Anna, dead, and hadn't found his son. He wasn't going to cry in front of Yuan, who also always had a hidden agenda. Sob, maybe, but never cry.

'You have me, Kratos.' Yuan replied just as quietly, filled with emotion. 'You have Yuan Ka-Fai, the man you spend years with trying to save the world from destruction, the man who saved you many times, and who you, in turn, saved. The man who knows your pain. Even when it seems like there isn't point in going on, and when _his _path seems like the only one, I will be fighting against him. Fight with me. You are not _his _man.'

Kratos shook his head. 'Someday, but not now Yuan.'

Yuan nodded,' I understand. Even if we are friends, I still don't trust you yet.'

Kratos got up and hugged Yuan Ka-Fai, the man who had indeed been his friend, and maybe, was once again. He paused, thinking, about to say something, when the door to Yuan study was knocked on. Yuan turned towards the door, going to open it. He knew Kratos well enough, trusted him enough to get out of there. Botta was standing at the door.

'Sir. We have intercepted a message saying the Mana Cannon was almost complete. What should we do? Rodyle can't use it yet, but if he gets what he wants, he could become unstoppable.'

Yuan crossed his arms in the most Kratos like fashion, and nodded. 'Get someone in there and install a shortcut for us, if we need to shut it down. '

Kratos watched this from the other side of the hologram transporter. If he really was the man he though he was, Mithos' man, than he would go tell Mithos right now that Yuan was betraying them. But, maybe Yuan was right. Maybe he should walk, in the dark, along the right path. Maybe it was better to walk in the dark on the path you know is right, than walk on lighted path you know is wrong. Kratos listened to some more of their conversation, and smiled. 'Thank you Anna.' He whispered. 'I will follow your path once more.'

When Botta went to leave, Yuan noticed a message on the hologram transporter. He listened to it, once. Then twice. Then smiled and felt some of his own pain lessen. He called Botta back into the room, and summoned the next lieutenants.

'Botta, everyone, it seems that the Chosen's journey is close at hand. I have a plan that, if we managed to complete, will reach our goals, and the goals of the man who gave us this plan.'

'Sir,' Botta asked,' May I ask who suggested this?'

Yuan paused. Then said 'A man I trust completely.'


End file.
